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Friday, January 20, 2012

Connecticut Genealogy Research Guide Recommendations

Thanks to Colleen for posing the question that inspired today's post. She asked what Connecticut genealogy books I'd recommend.
My answer is - it depends. I've yet to find a good how-to genealogy book for Connecticut. I've seen references to some webinars on the subject and some books by large genealogical publishing companies. Honestly, I haven't looked at most of them. There just aren't enough hours in the day and dollars in the budget! The best I've seen thus far was the Connecticut Researcher's Handbook, despite it being outdated. In contrast, there are a plethora of good local books and articles. Connecticut Genealogy News offers case studies, source descriptions, and more. Any one of these may provide the information you need to research an ancestor. My favorite features are the town profiles. These give you not only the history of the town but also the local genealogical resources. Historical societies and civic organizations regularly publish history books and profiles of famous locals. I've found references to my ancestors in some of these publications.
If your goal was to find a how-to guide, there are some solid substitutes. Start by checking the FamilySearch wiki. Their county profiles may guide you straight to your family records. You can call the local historical society. Often their volunteers are familiar with the local records, although their research experience varies. Some may charge for their time. You can call the library of the largest city in the area. In Connecticut, the cities tend to have one or more librarians with genealogical experience and a knowledge of local records - although this isn't always true. Finally, if you're stuck, you can always consider hiring a professional genealogist.